Scarborough RNLI Memorial Service to be Streamed Online

Tuesday, 1 December 2020 16:29

This weekend's annual ECJR memorial service will be shown online but won't feature the Filey Fisherman's Choir.

Scarborough RNLI's annual ECJR memorial service, commemorating lifeboat crew who have perished at sea, takes place this weekend.

It will be attended by people from the Bottom End, who will sit apart, borough mayor Hazel Lynskey and fewer crew than usual. They will include station standard bearer Kev Roberts.

The organisers are respectfully asking families and friends to take part at home by watching a live broadcast via the church’s Facebook page.

The service, to be led by Rev Richard Walker, will feature an address by Rev Pam Jennings and a bible reading by coxswain Lee Marton. Shore-crew volunteer Dave Grieves will read the roll of honour, a list of names of all who have died in service.

Hymns will be listened to but not sung and, for the first time in many years, Filey Fishermen’s Choir will not take part.

The service, at St Mary’s Church at 6.30pm on Sunday, marks the 66th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the lifeboat’s history.

Three crew died when the ECJR lifeboat overturned in the south bay in a terrible storm on 8 December 1954.

In atrocious conditions, with enormous waves and a howling gale, the lifeboat had been at sea all afternoon, escorting fishing boats back to the harbour.

With its rescue work complete, the ECJR was engulfed by waves and capsized close to the harbour mouth.

The deaths of coxswain Jack Sheader, second coxswain John Cammish and signalman Francis Bayes devastated their families and numbed the whole town with shock and grief.

Every year since then, the anniversary of the tragedy has been commemorated by a church service remembering those three in particular but also other lifeboat crew who have died at sea. They include Frank Dalton, who died in a horrific accident in tumultuous seas on 9 December 1951.

The photos were taken at last year’s ECJR service.